Archive for the ‘Life Lessons’ Category

Marriage is for life. Man and woman joined in wedding are the fortunate one working together in God’s resolve that life should go on. God joins both the life-giving and love-giving aspects of man and woman’s sexuality into one reality in marriage. What God has joined man must not divide, therefore love and life in matrimony must not be alienated. The two have been brought together as one gift by God.

God is love and love’s greatest expression is in the child born of a virtuous, whole family. Family is the base of civilization. Broken families have really no good taste, etiquette, or education and are violent. The family unit is the origin of humanity itself. The Holy Trinity is woman, man, and baby. We as a society, of any race, need to rebuild the community and indeed heal the world as a whole by rebuilding the family unit, giving our children, mothers and fathers who stay together in dedicated, genuine relationships.

Now it is acceptable and even preferred by some to be the "side chick", "side piece" or tolerate "open relationships", promiscuity, and noncommittal sexual unions. This destroys human divinity and is not in God’s vision of whole and supreme love. Children are broken when their parenthood is broken.

It is a prayer that we be wise and desire wholeness for ourselves and our progeny. Woman’s highest blessing is to love and live justly. Her greatest role is The Great Mother. She desires to manifest love in the world in all forms, not merely romantic, sexual love, as is commonly and erroneously believed. Woman creates romantic love to open the way for real, connected, vulnerable intimacy.

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Have you started to think about what changes you would like to make in this moment? Who do you really want to be? It’s your time; will you take it higher? Stop judging and start committing. Where you are currently is just a result of all you have thought and done in the past. If you want a different future, simply commit to life-enhancing changes. If you hate where you are and thinking only about what you don’t like, you are giving life exactly what you want to let go of. Bring love in and think about exactly what it is you do want.

When you are thinking about the changes you want to make in your life: ask what you want? Why do you want it? Are you willing to commit to what you want? Can you do it? Will you do it? Do you act out of love? How will your life be different afterwards? How will you be different afterwards?

Take whatever steps you can take every day and know that whatever you can do is enough, but important is do what you can do. Show the powerful intention to make the changes you would like to see. If you intend and expect the best for your future, it is a universal law that that is exactly what you will see. Make the process of creating and living a life you love, in a body you love, a loving promise you make to yourself, and let this be the moment, because if not now, when?

Every human being possesses a creative capacity. Pure energy is emanating from the source of the universe, and each of us receives a steady supply of this energy. How we use it from moment to moment determines our own future and the future of the world. This universal energy has infinite potential. Each of us assigns a shape to that energy by means of our thoughts and words. This is the process of creation.

Inspiration comes forth from within. It is what the light burning within you is about, as opposed to motivation, which is doing it because if you don’t do it, there will be negative repercussions. Motivation is making oneself do something one doesn’t really want to do. Inspiration is having the clear picture of what is wished for and letting Universal forces come into play to get the outcome. This helps bring perspective why some change or habits may last and others not.

For example, take exercise. If the reason that you exercise is because if you don’t you will have poor health later on – that may motivate you to keep exercising if health is something strong enough to keep you motivated long-term or it may not be enough. You may keep it up for awhile and if the motivation is lost, you will stop. On the other hand, if you can dig deep into the source of inspiration for the change, and connect this change to the core being – your soul – your inspiration vision, the change may stick. Using exercise again, if you change the “why” of your exercise regimen to exercising because your body is a temple and source of your creativity, you then exercise because it is part of your core being, not because of external motivation. In other words, when you are looking to adopt a new habit, or a change in your life, examine why you are doing it and the reasons behind it. Try and frame it in a way that fits into your overall inspiration vision of yourself and your life.

This requires spending time to assess what your overall “why” is to begin with. For some, it may be helpful to start at the end, and work way back. Look at the end of your life. What do you see? What are you doing? Who are you? Who is with you? What have you done with your life? In doing this, you can create an overall vision map of how you get to the end. Why you do anything you do each day when you get up. You then have choices each day, all day long. With each choice, you can ask yourself, how does this fit into my inspiration vision? Does it fit at all?

For many of us, some of what we do fits, but there are still many things that don’t. The challenge then is to decide if you stick to your overall vision, modify it, or ignore it. But if the inspiration of this vision, or whatever vision you create is truly what inspires you, then it will also inspire what you do along the way and your changes will stem from inspiration, instead of motivation.

Presence is the thread that weaves the rest of life together. Through this change, life takes on a hyper-awareness of actions, interactions, and thoughts. Presence goes hand in hand with awareness and acceptance. Spend a lot of your time just watching what you are doing or thinking, and trying to not be too attached to what is happening. This change is a way of being and a practice in progress. Catch yourself being caught up in emotions and reactions to situations that are not going the way you would like them to, and realize that the inner need to want to control everything so that it is perfect. Insight does not equal wisdom. One might have gained a lot of insight, but not yet wise to let go of the emotional response.

Synchronicity is being in tune with everything around you to draw something to you that is directly in line with what you are asking for, needing, or wanting. Synchronicity is like a Super Power when you are tuned in. It is one of those powers that quietly hide when your connection is corroded, so you don’t realize it’s not there. But when the connection is repaired, it is all around you. Not chance, or coincidence, but synchronicity.

How much we actually neglect mindfully practicing gratitude! Start a practice of writing down 5 things you are grateful for every day. It kind of may irritate you that you need to make this a practice in order to do it. Let it become part of your morning inspiration practice: Write down 5 things, set an intention for the day, and then meditate.

Dieting is not connected with inspiration, only with motivation. When feeling motivated, we may not put crap into our body. But when one is not motivated, one is mindless about what goes into one’s body. Focus on connecting health and exercise with vision and find out if this works.

Being vulnerable is what allows us to make new connections and deepen existing connections. Do you act from motivation, inspiration or a combination of the two? What works for you?

We only have one shot to make our world the place we want it to be. To make it something we can be proud of and something we would proudly hand over to the next generation. It is time we all looked at our everyday life and ask, "What can I do today that will help the next generation so they can live the life I envision?"

Each one of us can better this world. It is our accountability to strive to find solutions to the problems we inherited. We should see opportunities to inspire the next generation of leaders so that they too can enjoy our world and its entire splendor. We are all stewards of His creations. We have the liability to care for ourselves, our environment and for each other. Each day is a new opportunity to create a difference. We should become conscious of our personal talents and find ways to apply them to affect change. Take the time to show others how important it is to get involved and then lead by example. Problems can seem overwhelming on the surface, but if we address it with a sense of commitment and purpose; we will promptly see that we are not alone and that together we have what it takes to change the world.

Dwelling on the "how did this happen" deprive us of prized time that could be spent on creating the solution. Each one of us has the ability to envision the type of world and environment we would like to live in; it is within our reach to fulfill that vision. Anybody can make a difference… if I can, you can too. Ask yourself, "What would I like to see changed in my world?" and then ask yourself, "What can I do to make the change a reality?" We care about our environment and about all the living creatures in it. Seek ways to protect what we hold dear to us and ask others to do the same. Think about others first, including all the animals, before thinking about personal gain.

There is more to life than just you, try to see beyond the reflection in the mirror and look deeper and try to find a way to help those that are less fortunate. Anything is possible if you believe.

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Breathe in the mountain air and gaze out over expansive grounds glistening and dewy from the sunrise. Observe silence during breakfast hours. How one can manage with our friends together without talking and laughing … impossible! We might not make it through the next 15 minutes. We work around noise all day. Isn’t silence what we want? Why do we always have to talk anyway?

Hold the food on tongue a bit longer and notice the flavors in a refreshing way. During this time don’t converse, read or watch TV. You can feel the textures and the tastes fill the taste buds. Silence overflows from body, mind and soul as if it were always there; as if it was always your way of being. Just notice the view of the sky, mountains and valleys, our own mind-chatter and to-do lists rest blissfully now. Pure silence while eating with friends feels amazing. Many feel discomfort in silence, especially when with friends.

I wonder what we are all always chatting about! What level of our most authentic selves is being covered up because we so rarely sit together in silence? What levels of anxiety are we frequently releasing and soothing, back and forth, among one another? Which silly jokes can go left unsaid here and there to let in a little more truth in silence?

By sitting in silence, alone or with others, we give the brain a rest and allow our deepest selves to just be. We move and behave differently in the world when we are coming from a place of simply being. We are scared of the feelings that come up in silence. We feel uncomfortable in our insecurities and our fears. We live in a society filled with distractions to choose from. Happy thoughts fill us in silence. Sadness, nervousness and fear also fill us in silence. When we sit as conscious observers of our own feelings, we are allowing our whole selves to just be, without judgment. We are awake and peaceful. Tranquility fills us in silence. Enter the silence of your deepest self and truest self will ease into you.

To feel wholeness and connectedness from silence, choose one meal a day that you will eat in complete silence, without any distractions. Allow thoughts, to-do lists and feelings to pass by like logs floating away, down a river. Simply observe what comes up and allow it to pass on by. Plan to walk in silence from one point to another, and then back again. Observe any uncomfortable feelings that emerge, and observe how you feel once you have eased into your own silence.

When something really exciting or positive happens in life or work, stay in that place of blissful silence before telling others about it. Stay with the feelings you have about this positive occurrence. Bring your happy energy into your day, knowing you will tell the good news once you are ready. Observe when you are eating, shopping, watching TV or engaging in other behaviors for the purpose of distraction. Be the compassionate mother to yourself, and allow all of your feelings to be without judgment.

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Romans 8:28 tell us that all things work together for good, for those that love God and are the called according to His purposes. So everyday I wake up thinking I trust in God no matter what may come my way. Things do happen for a reason. We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Our hope at Bible or Not is that our readers come to know that God is on His throne, that he loves His people, and that He has a plan and purpose for each one of us. To everything there is a season, and whether you are in the spring, summer, fall or winter of life; whether you are in a time of plenty or want; or a time of joy or sorrow; things do happen for a reason and you can trust that God will see you through.

You’ve heard it thousands of times: “Don’t worry; everything will work out just fine.” It is the eternal optimism that is borne not in the crucible of reality but in the wishful thinking of the American dream, of Hollywood make-believe, or of a nave Pollyanna outlook. All of us know it isn’t completely true. We know of children who were cut down by cancer or drunk drivers, of drug addicts who came from good homes, of family men who lost their jobs, of soldiers who returned from battle with one less limb. We know of countless tragedies and needless suffering, yet we repeat the myth to our children without blinking an eye: “Don’t worry; everything will work out just fine.”

This sentiment is not new; it did not start in modern times. Ancient Greeks and Romans uttered something similar to their children, knowing that their words were hollow. The apostle Paul also said something like this. The difference is that Paul did not write a sanguine blank check; he conditioned his sentiment with important qualifiers, and he defined the ‘good’ as other than comfort and wealth.

In real estate it is said that there are three fundamental principles one must follow when buying a house: location, location, and location. In interpreting scripture, there are also three fundamental principles: context, context, and context. Romans 8:28 is no exception to this rule. If we look at it in its context, we will understand its intent. The overall context of Romans 8:28 is one in which Paul addresses living by the power of the Spirit in the midst of suffering and pain. Paul was no stranger to suffering; his several near-death experiences, beatings, imprisonments, and persecutions were enough to eradicate any Pollyannaism that might have lurked in his heart. In the immediate context within the verse itself—Paul expresses prerequisites for the good to take place: “we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” Paul is not giving this promise to all people, but only to those “who love God, who are called according to His purpose.”

Those who love God are, in this context, Christians, because they are called according to God’s purpose: the ‘called’ are also the ‘justified’ who will be ‘glorified’. Some take the present participle ‘who love’ as a temporal condition, as if to say, “As long as you love God, things work out; but whenever you are not loving God, things do not work out for your good.” This interpretation, however, is unlikely. First, the tense in this construction is most likely a gnomic present, indicating a characteristic rather than a temporal condition. Second, the following verses (29-30) speak of our conformity to Christ, our glorification, as the inevitable outcome of those who love God and that is not dependent on how much we love God but on the finished work of Christ on the cross. Paul concludes this chapter by making explicit that nothing can separate us from the love of God and by implication that would include even our temporary lapses in our love for the Savior.

What is the good is defined for us, initially at least, in verse 29, one of the forgotten verses of scripture: “because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters”. The good is not our comfort, wealth, or health. It is conformity to Christ! This good is then fully defined in the next verse: “And those He predestined, he also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified”. Ultimately, all things work together to bring each Christian into conformity to Christ, to bring each Christian to glory. So certain is Paul that this will take place that he speaks of our glorification in the past tense! He uses what is called the “proleptic aorist,” a device in Greek when an author is indicating that “it’s as good as done.” Not only this, but no one is lost between predestination and glorification. Paul does not say “some of those” or even “most of those” when describing each stage of the salvation journey. From predestination to glorification, he uses the simple “those.” No one misses the boat along the way.

When we read Rom 8:28 in its context we can give a positive answer to the questions of pain and suffering in the world. We may see nothing good come of misery and disaster in this world, but this world is not all of reality. There is an ‘until’; there is a place beyond the horizon of what our senses can apprehend, and it is more real and more lasting than what we experience in this mortal shell. God is using the present, even the miserable present, to conform us to the image of his Son. If we define the good as only what we can see in this life, then we have missed the whole point of this text, as Paul says earlier in the same chapter, “For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared to the glory that will be revealed to us”. Western Christians—especially American Christians—are prone to pervert texts such as Rom 8:28. If our lives are comfortable, if we have wealth, good health, that is fine and well. But it is not the good that Paul had in mind, and it is not the goal of the Christian life.

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In this Infinite Universal Consciousness this entire universe is pervaded. When a spark of this Universal Consciousness is conditioned and undergoes modification by mixing with Nature Elements or with the external body, then this conditioned consciousness is called mind. In such a situation, consciousness forgets its true nature that it is a part of and of the nature of that Infinite Universal Consciousness. This mind after forgetting its true nature, that is to say, being part of and of the nature of that Infinite Universal Consciousness, inherits a body and makes appearance in this world. Such a conditioned soul takes birth in different bodies and moves from one body to other body after death. Such a journey of soul goes forever until it sees the truth again.

Infinite Universal Consciousness, is independent of all these and pervades this whole universe; beyond this mind and beyond body. It is due to ignorance or after forgetting the Infinite Universal Consciousness that this universe exists. Once we know ourselves to be a part and parcel of that Infinite Universal Consciousness, then this illusion of universe disappears and we become one with the Infinite Universal Consciousness.

Sri Krishna says that the living entities in this conditioned world are His eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind. The living entity in the material world carries different conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries aromas. Thus we take one kind of body and again quit it to take another. The living entity, thus taking another gross body, obtains a certain type of ear, eye, tongue, nose and sense of touch, which are grouped about the mind. The living entity thus enjoys a particular set of sense objects.

The foolish cannot understand how a living entity can quit his body, nor can they understand what sort of body he enjoys under the spell of the modes of nature. But one whose eyes are trained in knowledge can see all this. The endeavoring transcendentalists, who are situated in self-realization, can see all this clearly. But those whose minds are not developed and who are not situated in self-realization cannot see what is taking place, though they may try to. Infinite Universal Consciousness is seated in everyone’s heart, and from it comes remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. There are two classes of beings, the fallible and the infallible. In the material world every living entity is fallible, and in the spiritual world every living entity is called infallible. Besides these two, there is the greatest living personality, the God Soul, the imperishable Lord Himself, who has entered the three worlds and is maintaining them.

Light Yagami

Name: Dr. Anil Agarwal Jain
DOB: 28-05-1982
Admission To School: March of 1986
Admission To MBBS in MMC: 1998
Convocation: In Year 2003
TOFEL (Test of English as Foreign Language): 2004
Admission to University of Massachusetts Medical School: 2004
55 Lake Avenue North
Worcester, MA 01655
774-442-2173
Three-year Internal Medicine Residency Program completed in 2007
Worked in Brigham &Women's Hospital till 2010
Returned to India in 2011
Now appointed as visiting Associate Professor of Internal Medicine in Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital, Bangalore in 2011